Wheeled vehicles must often be immobilized or otherwise secured for a time in order to off-load cargo from the vehicle, or during transport of the vehicle itself. For example, tray and tote carts, hopper trucks, laundry bins, pallet trucks, and portable garment racks include casters or wheels which must be chocked while the cargo or equipment is being loaded, held in waiting or removed. Rolling ladders may include two swivel casters and two rigid casters each having locks to prevent rolling, but chocking may still be necessary to prevent rotation or sliding of the individual casters on the floor. Blocking the casters or wheels of such vehicles against rolling, sliding, and/or rotation may also be necessary during air or ground transport of the carts or trucks, during docking operations, or during work stoppage when the vehicle is on a skid platform, ramp, or lift.
Chocking operations are considered critical from a safety stand point and OSHA has set forth requirements for chocks and chocking operations. In addition to human safety considerations, chocking operations are often necessary to prevent damage to the cargo being transported, damage to the transport vehicle itself, and damage to other stock or workers in the area. Because of their size, tire chocks are generally unsuitable for blocking casters--especially those which swivel. Moreover, blocking the wheel against rolling action requires two conventional chocks, one on each side of the tire. A security chain may be employed to prevent loss or misplacement of the chocks, but in general, employment of such chocks can be an unwieldy and time consuming operation since each chock must be firmly wedged against the tire. In addition, although some of the more expensive casters may have locks which prevent rolling and even rotation, chocking operations may still be required to prevent sliding.
Unfortunately, there are no chock devices which work well on casters, wheels, and tires; nor are there chock devices which block swiveling casters and wheels against rotation, or which block wheels against both rolling and sliding.